How scent can transform your wellbeing

Mind Sense & Soul: Scent

Our sense of smell used to play a vital part in our evolution and survival, but although we rely less now on it now for that than our eyes and ears, we often take its importance for granted. 

As well as being responsible for 80% of what we perceive as flavour, smell still helps us sense danger from things like gas leaks, smoke and rotten food. It is also however, the only sense that affects the parts of our brain linked to memory and emotion, which is why aroma can be a fantastic, natural tool for improving our psychological well-being. It can be as simple as the waft of a good scented candle or diffuser when you walk into a room. 

Aromas can be used to calm, enliven the spirit, subconsciously unleash desires and help us to feel safe. Inhaling them in the form of essential oils or just stronger scents too can help to produce serotonin and dopamine, which in turn helps to regulate mood.

Smell training

Have you heard of Proust and his madeleine cakes? The power of aroma to unlock memories and feelings is immense, so why not use that super power to your advantage and teach yourself to be calm or positive with practice? Pick a specific scent to inhale when you’re feeling a certain way, do that a few times and soon, you’ll find that you get that feeling back more easily every time you smell that aroma again. 

Smelling practice has now also been proved to stave off dementia (read more on that below). A study was also done with sommeliers, which showed that the parts of their brains associated with smell and memory were thicker than non-somms thanks to their years of practice smelling wine and considering the complex aromas. Finally, some good news about what I do for a living!

Which aromas for what? 

Certain herbs and flowers have been proven to have positive benefits, so it’s not just a case of spritzing yourself with Chanel. 

For reduced stress, anxiety and depression, try bergamot, lemon balm, rose and sweet orange.

For sleep, try lavender.

For positivity, try cedarwood and sage.

For focus and calm, try sandalwood.

For mental stimulation and an energy boost, try peppermint.

For sexy time, try cinnamon and jasmine.

For headaches and nausea, try ylang ylang and ginger.

There are links to full lists at the end of this article.

Scenting your home or even just a room or two could do wonders for your sense of wellbeing in a quick and inexpensive way and right now, as many of us are locked down, we could all do with a treat. So, go and find those candles, dim the lights and breaaaaathe!

Are you worried about losing your sense of smell? Anosmia has a perhaps surprisingly big effect on your mental health. Get help and support at www.fifthsense.org.uk

Park Candles

We’re huge fans of Park Candles as they look and smell so divine. Here’s a code you can use to get 40% off! Note this is not an affiliate link - just sharing the love. Code: Enter AIDY40 at parkscandles.com

Articles

Why smell is important

Fifth Sense: The psychology of smell

Losing the sense of smell could be the sign of larger health issues. Here.

The benefits of specific aromas. Here and here

How tasting wine can help stave off dementia. Here.

Books

Aroma: The Cultural History of Smell by Constance Classen

Essential Oils Reference by Dr Raskin

Podcasts

Behind the aroma

The Lab Aroma Podcast

Aromatic wisdom: the voice of aromatherapy

Watch our other MInd, Sense & Soul videos at thethreedrinkers.com/balance

How Sound Techniques Can Improve Your Mental Health & Wellbeing

Here we have a sense we don’t often think about beyond just music yet it has so many benefits for our mental health and wellbeing, especially in promoting calmness.

If we’re at home chances are we’re surrounded by the same person or people and that can lead us to feeling quite irritable. Isolating ourselves, plugging in some earphones and just listening to SOMETHING can detach us from that reality and for a brief moment allow us to escape 

Sound as a Healing Therapy

Sound as a healing therapy dates back all the way to the Ancient Greek times, where it was used to help people with mental health issues and those in pain. Over the years with more technology and understanding we’ve been able to cultivate this more than ever and specigically when it comes to music, improve our mood and mindset. Whether listening to music, singing to music, moving/dancing or playing an instrument – billions of signals are fired through our brains, giving us a sense of euphoria and calmness. That’s why there’s such a thing around singing in the shower. 

Meditation

There are so many different types of meditation each of which offer their own benefits. For a full list click here.

• mindfulness meditation

• spiritual meditation

• focused meditation

• movement meditation

• mantra meditation

• transcendental meditation

• progressive relaxation

• loving-kindness meditation

• visualization meditation 

There’s also something called Ambient Meditation which I discovered recently. As we’re working from our homes this could very well be a saving grace. Instead of focusing on peaceful sounds, it helps us combat and normalise the distractions of life, such as traffic, creaking radiators and the general distasteful noises we encounter throughout the day. By normalising them, we can become more productive throughout the day. 

Sound Hypnotherapy

This is a technique I have used for years in order to help me drift off to sleep. Whether anxiety of insomnia, I’ve had my fair share of difficulty attempting to get some shut eye and the various apps (such as Calm and Breethe) that offer hypnosis sessions have been a saving grace. 

ASMR - Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response  

It might sound a little weird, but I’m going to just say it – I love the sound of people eating soap. Yep, a hard bar of soap. I know, weird right? But its true. And I’m not alone. ASMR highlights noises that subjectively our brains find incredibly relaxing and focus on. (Let me be clear in that they spit the soap out, they aren’t actually swallowing it – so please DON’T start doing this yourself – it’s also about the noise of others, not ourselves.)

ASMR is described as feeling like a mild electrical current running from your brain slowly all the way down your body and is initiated by auditory and visual stimuli. Things like gentle whispers, loud chewing, tapping or repetitive sounds are all classed as ASMR sounds. It took me a while to figure it out as I thought I was just getting irritated and frustrated, but when you begin to actually concentrate on it you do inf act begin to feel more relaxed and alert. Odd, but affective. 

Podcasts

There’s so many genres, everything from learning to self-guidance, wellbeing and more. It doesn’t just need to be about bettering yourself either, follow your passions and listen to something you find genuinely interesting. One particular thing we should all be on the hunt for right now is something to make us laugh – laughter is life’s medicine I always say! Every time we smile of laugh our body sends a surge of positivity through our bodies into our brains, resulting in us feeling better. The same goes for each time we learn something and feel self-growth.  

Self Healing: https://open.spotify.com/show/0oHwerYHy5f1cYzd9qldsP

Binaural Beats Sleep: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX8h3zQNo57xG

How writing a daily journal helps mental, emotional & physical health

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Mind, Sense & Soul: WRITE

We should not underestimate the powers of creative writing and journalling to heal mental, emotional and even physical wounds. Daily journaling with real paper and pen has been talked about a lot recently as studies have shown the incredibly positive impact it can have on our health. Why?

• Writing honestly from the heart about your feelings regularly, especially stressful events - literally helps get things out of your system, helps you come to terms with things and is instantly calming, dropping cortisol levels.

• Journalling lowers cortisol levels, allowing you to heal quicker if you are hurt or sick, studies say, by more than 4 times faster than usual. 

• Writing about your day helps organise your thoughts so it's easier to find solutions where needed.

• If you have a tendency to feel overwhelmed, journalling helps you feel you have more control over your life. 

• If you reflect on your day, you’re also more likely to see patterns and learn lessons about what works for you and what doesn’t, so you can stop making the same mistakes.

• Writing every day helps with clearer thinking and learning how to better express yourself, which will soon start improving your communication with others. 

What to journal

It’s normal to have no idea where to start with the blank page at first, so here are some suggestions:

• What happened today that was stressful? Write as if no one is going to read it. Swear! Do the lot. Get it out. Add your single next step towards dealing with the issue if it helps. 

• List 3 good things that happened today. Which small or big things were you grateful for? You’ll very soon start noticing more little happy things in the day, which in turn will help you feel more content.

• Include your to-do list and list of open loops to tackle the next day. This stops them going round in your head and will help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. 

Convinced? Go and find yourself a lovely notebook and a posh pen. Make it sacred. Do it every day and let us know what you think.

There’s so much more to read around this subject. Check out some of these great teachers: 

Article

83 Benefits of journaling for depression, anxiety & stress - by Courtney E. Ackerman

18 Amazing benefits of journaling - by Dee at Vanilla Papers

Podcasts

Get started with journalling - The Pat Divilly podcast.

Open your mind and change your life with Dr Tara Stuart and Dr Rangan Chatterjee

How to be more you with Dr Rangan Chatterjee and Matthew McConaughey

Some lovely personalised notebooks (#NotAnAd)

www.papier.com

This video series was made in partnership with Mcguigan ZERO, the premium, alcohol-free,

Australian wine range.

The Countless Benefits of Flowers and Plants on Your Mind, Senses and Soul.

Put simply, being around plants, flowers and trees triggers a response within us that surges through billions of different neural pathways in our brains. When this happens, we naturally feel more positive. That’s why a walk in the park or being around lots of flowers can really help!!

As you begin to settle into your homes for yet another Lockdown, Green is going to be more important now, than ever. Whether it be trees, plants or flowers, here are just a few of the benefits you can expect to find:

• Improve the Healing Process

• Better Performance and More Energy

• Feel More Relaxed

• Enhance Concentration and Memory

• Lowers Background Noise

Improve the Healing Process

Plants in office spaces result in lower sick rates and the reason we have plants and flowers in many hospitals is because they help people recover more quickly. There’s also indoor air quality too – they suck in all of that stale air, breathing out fresh oxygen which keeps our systems pumping away. 

Here are a couple of other health perks countless studies have identified: 

● Lowers blood pressure
● Reduces stress
● Boosts immune system
● Creates a positive mood
● Improves sleep

Better Performance and More Energy

These beauties improve out state of mind – the subliminal affects they emit boost our mood and make us feel much more alive and active. Exactly what we need if working from home. 

Feel More Relaxed

"Biophilia" is an innate affinity of life or living systems, which is exactly what plants are. By having them in our homes we are continually reminded that these living organisms exist. They soothe us, allow us to not feel so alone and remind us of what being alive is all about. Sunshine, sky, wind, the smell of flowers, the trickling sound of a water feature – all of these things have the same affect. 

Enhance Concentration and Memory

The effect of nature has been proven to stimulate our senses, improving performance, memory and mental cognition. A notable study at the University of Michigan showed that memory retention had increased by 20% for those who surrounded themselves by plants. Whether your room is covered in them or you’ve just got a little plant on your desk, you can begin taking the steps to reduce a sterile environment. 

Lowers Background Noise

Plants have been used outside for years to reduce noise; they aren’t just for visual privacy. But they can have the same affect in the home as well. Reducing the irritating noises of things like cars and construction as a buffer. 

Where Do You Buy Them?

• Your Local Florist (see if they are delivering, what can you do to help?)

• Various online services like Bloom, Floom and FlowerBX

• Your local supermarket (Waitrose always have a great selection)

• Internal Greenhouses (they also have SAD light benefits (i.e. Click & Grow)

Here a couple of additional articles you can check out for the science behind it, the studies that have been carried out and to delve into my points a bit more:

The Health and Wellbeing Benefits of Plants
https://ellisonchair.tamu.edu/health-and-well-being-benefits-of-plants/

Why Trees Can Make You Happier
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_trees_can_make_you_happier

Seven Benefits of Having Plants in Your Home Office
https://www.ciphr.com/advice/plants-in-the-office/

Why Indoor Plants Make You Feel Better
https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/indoor-plants-can-instantly-boost-your-health-happiness-ncna781806 

Why Living with and Tending to Plants is Good For You
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20201022-why-living-with-and-tending-plants-is-good-for-you

How Important is Light in our Everyday Life?

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Mind, Sense & Soul: Light

Bright, natural light, especially in the morning, boosts alertness, improves mood, reaction speed, gut health and helps you fall asleep faster at night. Without enough of it, we are all grumpier, slower and fatter!

Light is measured in ‘lux’ and even on a gloomy day, heading outside will give you 5000+ lux when compared to just 2-300 lux in a regular home or office. The upshot? Get outside, every day, in the light, especially between 8 and midday. It will make a huge difference to your mental health. 

S.A.D

Do you suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)? Whether you think you do or whether you just need more light, it might be worth investing in a SAD light, to boost your daily lux intake. Find one we’ve tried and tested here (UK) and here (US).

Take Vitamin D!

Take Vitamin D, especially if you are in the UK right now. We need Vitamin D to regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in our bodies and keep our bones, teeth and muscles working. Not having enough can lead to deformities and tooth problems, especially with children. The NHS says we need to take 10 micrograms (400 IU) of vitamin D a day between October and early March and now is particularly important as we have not been outside as much due to the pandemic.

Our bodies create vitamin D from direct sunlight on the skin when outdoors. You can also boost your intake from oily fish (such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel), red meat, liver, egg yolks, fortified foods (such as some fat spreads and breakfast cereals) and of course, supplements. Try this minty tasting daily spray. Kids love it too ( I can confirm!)

There’s so much to learn about how getting enough sunlight benefits our physical and mental health. Here are some fascinating things to read and listen to by the experts:

Podcast

The Power of Light to Transform your Health. Linda Geddes talks to Dr Rangan Chattergee on the Feel Better, Live More podcast. 

Bitesize podcast (8 mins)

Full Podcast (1 hr 45)

Book

Chasing the Sun, by Linda Geddes. Buy it here.

Articles

What is SAD and do I have it? Read here.

The hidden power of light - Ingrid Fettell Lee. Read here.

The psychological impact of light and color. Read here.

To see our other Mind Sense & Soul videos, links and articles, click here.

This video series was made in partnership with Mcguigan ZERO,

the premium, alcohol-free, Australian wine range.

McGuigan Zero is alcohol-free wine created using state-of-the-art spinning cone technology. By drawing the wine into super fine layers for efficient vaporisation, alcohol may be removed at lower temperatures than ever before, thus resulting in a wine that retains its taste.